SLOW FADE OF THE FOUR-ENGINE AIRLINER

As long-haul international tourism recovers, some leading carriers have been returning their superjumbos to service. The A380 that seemed destined to fade into the sunset has received a new lease of life.

- JOSEPH NORONHA

TIME WAS WHEN A FOUR-ENGINE JET AIRLINER WAS EVERYBODY'S idea of the perfect way to reach a dream destination on another continent. Well-heeled travellers loved the ample space and the lavish cocktail lounges and restaurants on the double-decker Boeing 747. First class Emirates passengers on the gigantic Airbus A380 of which the Dubai-based carrier has the world's largest fleet of 116 aircraft - could even enjoy an inflight shower.

In fact when the jet age began in 1952, it was with fourengines all the way. The de Havilland Comet, the world's first jet passenger aircraft, may have been a safety nightmare. But the Boeing 707 that followed in 1958 proved that jetliners could be both safe and successful. All through the 1960s, four-engine airliners or "quads", such as the Douglas DC-8 and Boeing 707, dominated both the domestic and long-haul airspace because they were seen as safer than twinjets. In fact, United States (US) Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) regulations required twin-engine aircraft to have a diversion airport available within 60 minutes flying time throughout their route. This made them impractical for transoceanic journeys. In the 1960s and 1970s, three-engine planes or "trijets" became popular since they were more economical than quads and their operation was not as strictly limited as that of twinjets. The Boeing 727 trijet introduced in 1964 was highly successful and 1,832 were built.

BOEING’S BIG BET